Troubled Waters
by TheBabesofJustice
Summary: (Previously Hook, Line, and Sinker) Jovie Orsini is no stranger to the bright lights and harsh working conditions of the wrestling world. A former high-flying independent supernova, Jovie has her eyes on the highest prize of the WWE and is ready to show the world why she truly is #1. But when emotions flair and story lines turn sour, will she have the strength to sink or swim?
1. Setting Sail

The damn punching bag didn't know what hit it.

Gloved fingers struck the hard leather at impeccable speeds, the lithe muscles beneath cloth bindings constricted upon every strike. A raucous bead of sweat dribbled from the top of Jovie's forehead threatening to spill over with every movement of her shoulders. It was as if it was… frightened, of what would happen if it made that dangerous plunge into the unknown space in front of her pupils. As it should have been. The brunette was in the damn zone. She didn't have time for a little sweat to peeve her off at this point.

 _Twist, jab, cross, uppercut, block, duck, twist, jab._

The cycle continued for a forgotten amount of time. It didn't matter. The little lady needed to let off some majorly pent up steam. After all, she had been at this damn developmental hell called NXT for almost a year now and things couldn't be more boring. Lame match after lame match with subpar talent went by in seconds and she wasn't learning a _single thing_. That was the one thing about fighting she really loved: learning. To find another woman in the ring and break her down blow by blow, movement by movement. There was something exciting about that. Jovie was able to separate the crowd from her opponent and focus on the other woman's breathing, her sweat, her speed. Things like that showed fatigue and gave Jovie the signals for the opportune moments to strike. Wrestling was a waiting game; wear them down and take them out.

Her reign had shown the complete domination of her tactics. Already the NXT women's champion twice now, Jovie couldn't imagine herself in a better place to be considered being moved to the main roster. She held the title now for over four pay-per-views and the fans were completely over with her. Every time she entered the arena, the pop was monstrous. The glimmer of indecision would race across her opponent's face and she would zero in on the goal nearly immediately. She was like a shark; her eyes were set on her prey in the center of that ring. She wasn't afraid of anyone she fought with. No one garnered that kind of respect from her in the women's developmental division from her. After all, the prissy models here were nothing like those who she had competed with before in her previous independent labels. Shimmer had given her experience with true fighters while DragonGate and Ring of Honor fully allowed her to perfect her craft. Jovie slapped at the bag one more time, hugging it to her heaving chest with lead-filled hands. She needed to get out of here. She would go terminally insane if she didn't.

The gym door creaked open and closed as she turned to face the new person, a man by the looks of their broad shoulders. There was a grey duffel swung under his arm and a beanie over his head so she couldn't see his face, but his slouched spine and ridiculously cheesy, way too old Nikes gave him away.

"Morning Jon," she huffed, nodding her head towards the man.

The man picked his head up in sleepy acknowledgement before nodding back a quaint "hey" paired with a sideways smirk as he turned back towards his bag. Jon Good, known more famously by his ring name Dean Ambrose, was one of the few welcome friends that Ms. Jovie Orsini allowed to interrupt her during her ritualistic morning workouts. He was Jovie's pro advisor in NXT, the person that you can always look to as, say, a "big sibling" of sorts. He wasn't her trainer by any means, but when he had some free time, Jovie knew she could rely on the Cincinnati native to always be willing to lock up or be willing to answer any questions about this insane world that they both now occupied.

Jon was always a good person to have around as he constantly was joking with her and pushing her buttons while always trying to use fun rather than stress propel her towards success. The one perk Jovie had about Jon being her pro was that they had actually had a taste of each other before either was even a blimp on the WWE's radar.

Since their short time together at DragonGate, Jon had always been just a phone call away. The two were nearly inseparable until Jon's release to NXT two years before she was called. Now, it seemed that Mr. Main Roster was trying to regain a bit of the ground that was lost in their friendship by training with her in her mornings, even if that was all the travel time he could allot for.

Jovie strode over to Jon untying her laces with her teeth before dragging her sweaty palms from their leather cages. "What took ya so long, nerd? I got through four rounds before you even woke up most likely."

Jon only smiled as he laced up his boots, his beanie now flung to the side and his pads in place. "I wouldn't be talking, little bear. You were the one that went out during our late night punch-a-palooza on Tuesday, if you don't remember."

Jovie shirked away at the comment, turning away from the man with a huff. "You didn't _tell_ me that it was back on after you cancelled on Monday morning. I would have been there if you told me!" Jovie reached towards the bench and picked up her water bottle, unscrewing the top and sitting down before taking a swig. "At least you got to spend time with you Shield buddies. I'm sure Colby and Joe didn't want me around much anyway. There would be too many pheromones between you and I."

Jon's hand immediately shot towards his chest, a pained expression riddled over his eyebrows. "Oh! You got me! Whatever shall I do?" Jon's thick laugh echoed through the empty room before he continued to work on his pads. "And you know they wouldn't care! They love you almost as much as I do. For god's sakes, you could walk on Colby's face with _cleats_ and the man would still kiss the ground you walked on."

The petite brunette could only nod her head in agreement with a smile as she sauntered into thought. Colby Lopez, AKA Seth Rollins, had known her for the shortest time but quickly found himself infatuated with the itty bitty Italian spitfire. If she said jump, he would screech how high and not stop until he, one, reached height, or two, passed out from trying too hard. Joe Anoa'i, or Roman Reigns as many knew him, was the older brother that Jovie had never had. He was cool, calm, collected and did everything in his power to ensure that she did the best she could and that was all that mattered. He kept her grounded in ways that no one else could and she Jovie was truly blessed to call him a friend. Besides, she and Joelle got along so well, it was nearly impossible for Roman to separate his daughter from her 'Aunt JoJo'.

"Earth to little bear, yo. Get your Brooklyn-born ass out here. We have some grappling to do, hop to it, rookie." Jon grinned in anticipation, hustling out to the center of a practice ring and threw a few shadow punches in her direction in a mock warmup. The sun was only just beginning to spill through the high windows of the performance center, the morning still new. Jovie had an entire day ahead of her and it would all start by whooping Jonny Boy's ass in the middle of the ring. Nothing can get much better than that.

Jovie slid through the bottom ropes and gave a little spring to the balls of her feet as she and Jon circled each other. "You sure you up for this, darlin'? I ain't gonna go easy on you, that's for sure." His voice was still partially scratchy from sleep, but the fire in his eyes smoldered deep beneath the cool blue. Jovie could only reach her hands up to meet his in response. It was game time. No monkey business now.

Quickly, Jon tucked her head underneath his armpit and Jovie slapped his arm. Reversal. She sprang from the trap and threw him into a fast judo-styled hip toss, landing him straight on his side as she trapped him in a rather basic arm bar. Both wrestlers weren't seeking to destroy, only to warm up, so Jon gave a double tap to release the grip. Jovie moved back into position to register another lock up, Jon pulling her back into the same position. This time, Jovie decided to change it up, moving from a headlock to try another escape. Jon clamped his bicep over her head, forcing her to stay put with a gentle 'oof'. The woman could almost hear his grin through the sigh. "In a real fight, you can't pull through. Try another way." Jovie's mind raced and raced until finally, a light pinged in her head. She tapped his arm, signaling a reversal before pinching the inside of his bicep. The older man yelped like a pup, releasing his grip immediately to nurse the abused skin. Jovie was rolling on the mat laughing at that point, her sweat mixing with her tears of laughter.

"That wasn't funny," Jon muttered under his breath, a bound hand rubbing his skin. Jovie wiped a tear away as her chest still heaved in laughter, unable to figure out cohesive words to put into a sentence. "You just—I couldn't—Oh MAN, that was classic!"

Jon had enough. He pounced on the poor woman and flipped her onto her back, her shrieks only egging him on. His legs wrapped around her hips as he straddled her and her wrists were pinned above her head, but Jovie could still only laugh. It didn't matter that Jon would have one just by sitting on her, it was the fact that she was having _fun._ Such moments like these were a dime a dozen for rookies. Their sole purpose was to get to the top of the mountain. Jovie was there. This little lesson with Jon only confirmed the thing she had to do now: look down and wait for the next challenger with a smile on her face. She loved what she did and, even though they only got through maybe two drills, she had learned an ample amount of information.

The pinch was the way to go.

"Get off of me, you big lug. You're gonna make me wet myself if I keep laughing!" Jovie wriggled beneath the man's weight a bit, her legs going numb under his sheer mass. Jon stood up, lifting the woman from her prison beneath him before slapping her on the shoulder. He withdrew his hand quickly, shaking it with a look of disgust. "Now THAT is gross. Go shower off, you nasty woman… I'll be done in like half an hour. Just a quick boxing session and then we can go, okay? Can you wait for me after you shower?"

Jovie nodded, heading over to her gear and equipment to sling it over her shoulder. "Yeah, I'm sure I can waste some water while you finish up. After all, I ain't paying for it!" With a small wave and a sway of her hips, she entered the locker room lighter than she had felt in weeks.

* * *

When Jovie had exited the locker room, Jon was already waiting for her with a smile. He stood with two other figured who she easily pinned to be Joe and Colby, the men greeting her with enormous hugs and cheek kisses. "Heya, baby girl. How are you fairing out here?" Joe's baby blues glistened against the bone white gym walls, his bioluminescent smile even brighter.

"I can't wait to get out of NXT," Jovie groaned, her fingers running through her damp hair. "I'd much rather be on the road and have my rental break down in the middle of the desert than have to verse Summer Rae or Eva Marie ever again."

"Hey, they can't be that bad," Colby intervened. "At least their… Well, I mean, at least they have _some_ talents…"

"Like sucking dick?" Jon hid his response behind a hand, the noise muffled. Jovie slapped his arm playfully, a smirk on her lips.

"No, you mean _fellatio_. They're classy concubines, remember? Gotta use the right terms!"

Colby shook his head and Joe only chuckled. "Hey now, be nice. Sure they may not be technically sound, but Hunter knows what he's doing most of the time, you know? There's gotta be a reason why he hired them." The Samoan thought about what he said and, slowly, mumbled under his breath.

"What?" Jovie inquired, her arms crossing her chest while her eyebrow raised in questioning.

"They're pretty… Pretty hoes for when Stephanie's away, aren't they?" Joe turned his head at his own realization while Jon and Colby could only say 'Ohhhhhh' in response as they slapped each other's biceps. Jovie just didn't understand why boys always slapped each other after someone else made a verbal burn. It didn't make any sense to her. What was the point of smacking someone else when another person said a great line?!

Jon clasped his large friend on the back of the shoulder, a deep chuckle reverberating through his throat as he shook his head. Joe was just so innocent sometimes. His realizations were always gut, visceral reactions. "Like you said, Hun'er knows what he's doing _most_ of the time, brotha."

"Alright, onto a different topic. Now, I know you boys just got in from your long, long week paid travel time, but if you'd like to come, there's a house show tonight at Full Sail? I'm taking on Alexa Bliss for the title, but I'm sure there are a bunch of guys back there who miss you all. You're more than welcome to tag along if you'd like." Jovie, honest to goodness, was _praying_ that they would say yes. It had been forever since any of them have truly seen her in the ring. She hoped that tonight would be the night. That the second she got out of the ring, it would be _her_ time to join the main roster. That singular moment would be her biggest dream coming true. She couldn't imagine a better crew being there than those three goons.

"The title? At a house show?" Joe looked at her with a bit of concern, his arms crossing over his large chest. "Can they do that?"

"Higher ups can do anything," Colby responded distantly. Jovie could tell a bitter memory was forming in the back of his dual-toned skull. "Are you supposed to drop the title?"

Jovie hesitated just a moment before giving a quiet 'yes.' "But don't worry! I think this is my transition to the big time! If I drop the title, nothing can hold me back from joining the roster with you all!"

Jon dropped a large hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, but what if they _don't_?"

"Stop being so negative, Jon! Jovie's got what it takes! She's worked for this for so long, it would be ridiculous if they didn't bring her up!" Colby ruffled Jovie's hair just a bit, her grin reached ear to ear.

"Thanks Colb. At least _someone_ believes."

"Hey, I won't be there to wipe the tears when Hunter doesn't come up to you immediately to talk about your transition," Jon crossed his arms over his chest and let out a huff. "I need a cigarette... I'll be in The Alley when you're ready, Jove."

Jovie nodded her head and watched her poorly postured partner leave through the glass exit door, his hands fiddling with his back pockets. "That shit's gonna kill him one day," she muttered, but Joe only chuckled. "Eh, it hasn't killed him yet. He'll do it until the day he dies. No amount of running ropes or suicides is going to change that. The man has morphing lungs, as Colby and I like to say. Even if he smokes, if he keeps exercising, it's like it doesn't matter. None of that shit ever seems to affect him."

"Yeah, but he could be so much better if he just _quit_ ," Jovie said adamantly. "Imagine how many sprints he could do!"

It was Colby's turn to laugh as he pulled her in for a side hug. "Like he would want to do _those_! Cardio is the devil to Mr. Ambrose, remember? Let him have a vice. He's not as angry when he indulges a little."

Joe pulled his girl in for a massive hug before planting a little kiss on her forehead. "Colby and I will see you tonight. Kick ass, baby girl! We'll be cheering!" Jovie's happiness could only be shown through her grin. They weren't kidding; she would probably be hearing those two from even behind gorilla.

* * *

Jovie let the steel gym door slam behind her with a bang as she scuttled down the steps, the humid morning air immediately making the hair on the back of her neck stick to her skin. The one thing about Florida that she couldn't _stand_ was the damn humidity.

It was nothing like Brooklyn. Born and raised in the bustling boroughs, Jovie had lived amongst the graffiti ridden walls of her metropolis for a full 18 years before deciding that she needed even _bigger_ landscapes than the constant police sirens and drug busts. Her mother and father hadn't been so sure, but ended up making the executive decision to let their let girl go down to their condo in Jupiter, Florida to try to start living for herself. It was a monitored place; a gated community. One of those snow bird settlements that everyone in New York had. Her dad had always told her, if you could sign a dotted line, you could get whatever you wanted in life. She would transfer money to her parent's bank account every month with a minimal rent and, as long as she didn't miss it, she could stay as long as she needed.

At 19 after doing a year's worth of shitty training in the forgone bars of Fort Lauderdale, she ended up ditching the place to travel around different parts of the Midwest for training. She stopped paying rent on the condo and when they questioned her about her antics, they were _less_ than pleased. Although raised in a rather affordable apartment, her parents were civil service workers; her mother a correctional office and her father a New York City Police lieutenant. They thought that she was being selfish, spending all of her money on just a far-sought out dream and not embracing reality. But that was just they thing they didn't understand: she would _make_ it her reality. Jovie was more at home in the center of that ring than any other gritty, scum infested street of Brooklyn.

She hadn't let them known how terrible her conditions truly were; at DragonGate, Jovie was homeless, cold, broke and only wanted to go home to New York with her tail between her legs. Jon was the one that convinced her to stay.

He had argued with her that entire night that if she went back to that 'shithole' at that very moment, she would only be failing herself. She didn't need to do this for anyone but herself and her parents, her extremely strict parents, would know that they had all of the control in her life. But they _did not._ Jovie should be able to live her own life with her own mistakes. However she made her bed, she would need to lay in it and do it better the next time. There was nothing wrong with messing up. No one was perfect.

So, Jon too her life into his own hands. He had lent her his couch and let her use his utilities without rent. They would carpool to shows and practices and often times ended up eating the worst kind of take out together on his back deck. Those were times that Jovie treasured the most. Cigarette smoke and all.

When Ring of Honor called her, Jon was already on his way to the developmental territory of FCW and had paid his final month of rent literally the day before. Jovie had that month to move out all of her shit and start again on the bottom. The two had lost contact a bit of contact between those two years of separation. This Jon that she knew now was nothing like the Jon she had known then. Here, he was stunted, _neutered_ , in the way that he spoke and acted, how he held himself and how he seemed to move day to day to life. There was no arrogant pride or cocky disposition; no fire-breathing, hot headed _machismo_ like she had remembered. Jon Good was a kicked puppy in a shelter. He needed a little freedom and a few good friends to drag him out.

Jovie's feet dragged her exhausted body listlessly through The Alley as she spotted Jon crouched on a curb, his fingers fascinated with a phantom scuff on his boot. When she had first seen him, he was grappling in the middle of the ring with Taylor Rotunda, also known as Bo Dallas. When he had spotted her out of the corner of his eye, Jon dropped Taylor straight to the mat before he ran out of the ring in all of his sweaty glory to lift her up into the tightest, most relieving hug she had ever experienced. Jon must have been somewhere close to his second pack of the day because the scent of smoke from his skin didn't leave her clothes for the next three washes. Since that time, Jon had cut back on his expensive and dangerous habit because of social exposure and "spreading a positive message to kids". It had been a prerequisite for him joining into the main roster with The Shield.

Jovie didn't think he would last more than six hours without a hit. If he could, it would be a miracle.

 _Plane rides overseas are going to be interesting_ , she thought to herself as the man picked himself off the curb, grounding out the butt of his cigarette with his shoe. He dusted off his hands on his jeans before tucking them deep into his pockets.

"Ready?"

Jovie gave a quick nod as they headed towards the parking lot. The walk was comfortably silent, their breathing the only thing between them as they got to Jon's car. An old sky blue Monte Carlo like the one _ drove in during 'Enemy of the State'. Jovie bypassed it completely and headed towards the bike rack, pulling a Walmart brand mountain bike from the rack. Jon gave her an unsure look, his arms crossing over his chest. "You sure that thing's gonna hold?"

"Old Reliable hasn't failed me yet," she responded, hitching herself to the uncomfortable seat. "It gets me where I need to go and it's way cheaper than owning a car. I don't live far from here anyway."

"It's hot as Satan's armpit out here and you're going to bike home?" He wasn't buying it. He leaned up against the hood of his car as she straddled the bike over to him. "Just throw it in the flatbed, I'll drive you home."

"Seriously, it's all good, Good," she grinned. "I don't need your pity, bro."

"What about air conditioning? Sunburn? You gonna let your hair frizz before the show tonight?"

"One, the wind is my air conditioning and two, that's why we have hairstylists and make-up artists, thank _goodness_. Seriously Jon, I'll be fine! I'll see you tonight, right?" Jovie's tone was questioning, but her shaking fingertips as she clipped on her helmet betrayed her trust. Was she really nervous that he wouldn't show?

"Of course, little bear. I wouldn't miss it for the world." He gave her a strong pat on the top of the helmet, her neck careening under the pressure. She gave him a quick wave before speeding off into the morning. When she pulled into the driveway of her apartment building, she could have sworn that she saw a flash of blue shuffle past the cross street.

* * *

A/N: And that's chapter one! This will be my first story on this account and I'm so excited to get it underway. We're in for the long haul on this one! It's going to be Dean Ambrose/ OC centric with hints of Roman/Seth action everywhere. Come join Jovie as she takes the WWE by storm! The Siren isn't going to sink so easily ;)

Jon calls Jovie "Little Bear" because her last name, Orsini, means "Little Bear" in Italian. We'll be getting more into their previous relationship under DragonGate in later chapters. Please favorite, review and follow!


	2. Hoist the Anchor!

A hard slam on the front door jolted Jovie from her fitful nap, her legs tangling with the matted knit blanket over her waist. Her fat cat, Beans, hissed at the front door and waddled over towards the fallen mass of rumpled yarn on the floor. Jovie stuck up a finger towards him and gave it a strict 'No' before the creature could even rip out its claws to tear it to shreds.

The girl sprinted towards the front door and found a smiling Colby Lopez at her door. "Yo! Need a lift to Full Sail tonight? I was in the neighborhood and thought I would stop by."

Jovie greeted her friend with a disheveled smile and motioned him in to the duplex with frantic fingers. "Yeah! Thanks Colb! Sorry about the mess. I guess my alarm didn't go off. Give me five! Make yourself at home!" The brunette sprinted up the stairs and made a spin for the bathroom, grabbing her toothbrush and hastily running it to her teeth.

"This is a pretty big space," she heard Colby call from the living room. "Haven't you decorated it yet?"

Jovie spit wintergreen as she grabbed a cup to gargle and rinse. No time for mouthwash and flossing tonight. "Nah, I never stay in one place too long. It gets too lonely with only Beans and me, you know?" Jovie ran into her bedroom and closed the door, fumbling for some kind of decently, unwrinkled pencil skirt. She heard a shriek from the hall and opened the door quickly, fumbling with the zipper on the back. "What?!"

"It bit me!"

"Yeah, Bean's a bitch," she chuckled. "He doesn't like any man except for Jon. Found that out a few years ago when I hosted a party back in DragonGate. I don't know why. I think it's just because they're both assholes. Just hang tight! Almost done!"

Jovie grabbed a cropped, polka dot top and threw it over her shoulders. She pulled at it carefully so that only a golden strip of skin showed on her abdomen. Quickly, she slipped on a pair of her favorite Sperry's and scooted out of the bedroom. She was never one for the whole skin tight, bodycon bandage dress and sky high pumps that the other ladies enjoyed wearing to shows. She preferred her feet _not_ in pain and blistered the next day.

After fluffing her hair a bit and securing it with a few stray bobby pins she had in her dresser drawer, she was ready. She shoved her makeup and hair supplies into her gym bag and bolted out of her room. Beauty second. You can fight a fight without makeup, but you can't fight if you aren't even there.

"Ready?"

Colby looked over the frazzled woman with an arched eyebrow, still nursing the punctured finger from her finicky feline. "Hot damn, where'd those buns come from? You look like a lean, mean fightin' machine!"

"Yeah, they didn't come from any bakery, that's for sure! Come on, we're already late." Jovie grabbed her house keys and started down the stairs. Beans' food and water was already set for the night, his kitty litter cleaned and ready for use. He was pretty self-sufficient. After all, all he did was sleep, cause mischief, eat and shit. _Not a bad life,_ she thought. She locked the door and hopped into the passenger seat of Colby's Honda Civic.

"Windows up or down? You know, the hair thing?" Colby reached for a hair tie on his wrist, pulling brunette and blonde streaks back into the elastic. "I feel your pain."

"Nah, you can keep the windows down. After all, that's what the Glam Squad's for, right?" Jovie knew that the instant she walked through the back, she would be bombarded with makeups, powders, sprays and everything in between. She trusted the WWE Glam Squad to make her into the hottest diva on the market. They haven't failed her yet. At least, _she_ didn't think they did, although some fans may think otherwise according to the internet.

Colby started out of her driveway and down the hot Florida roads. Full Sail University wasn't very far from her apartment, maybe about ten miles or so. It was just long enough with the many poorly timed lights to drive a man insane. The brunette fiddled with a strand of hair on the front of her face, eying a small, sun-bleached blonde whisp that framed her forehead. Too much sun could do that to a girl. "So, how did it feel like when _you_ had to drop the title?"

Jovie had to admit, she didn't like being told to drop from the highest pedestal she could reach back to the dirt and shit of low card for no reason other than corporate, mainly Triple H, telling her it needed to be done. She was sure Colby had known the despair all too well. If she wanted a reaction, his would be her best bet.

Colby raised an eyebrow as he jerked the brake pedal hard at a sudden red light. "How did it feel? Bittersweet I suppose, but I knew there were better things to come from it. It wasn't like it was going to be the last belt I held, you know? You have to treat it as a stepping stone to the next level."

Jovie pouted gently as the light turned green, her arms crossing beneath her breasts. "You're just way too optimistic, Lopez…" She sighed and wiped a backhand over her brow. "I guess it's just because my future is so up in the air that I'm so distraught… I mean, what if they just end up keeping me down in NXT and I lost it for no reason? What if I lose my heat with the fans? Is my career going to plunge and that's it? Too many questions," she groaned out. She didn't like not knowing what was going to happen. Life was too unpredictable for her.

"How do you even know that you're going to be staying in NXT? Hunter just likes to make you sweat. I'm _sure_ you're going to be on main roster. I have a really good feeling," Colby muttered, focusing on weaving in and out of the slow, Florida traffic. Jovie spotted an elderly fellow in an Oldsmobile moving at 40 on the 65 mile per hour highway. _Driving corpses… They're one sudden break light away from a sure death…_

Colby swept into the parking lot at near full speeds, waving at the many fans who had come to see the NXT live event. Jovie had to admit, the fans really were amazing. They stuck around through thick and thin in the small, hot arena and did everything they could to cheer their fool heads off. The intimacy of the space really made her appreciate this huge business. From playing lame house shows in community centers with makeshift rings to a _real_ university with a _real_ fan base, this was something she would never forget.

"You rea- Jo?"

The brunette had already sped out of the passenger seat and reached into the back if the Civic for her bag. She had five minutes to get back stage before Trips would be on her ass like a fly on cow shit. "You got that?" Colby hollered, slamming his door behind him. "Don't want you pulling out your shoulder or something on that?"

"What am I, fragile or something?" Jovie laughed at her own joke. The answer to that was _yes_. She was a complete klutz and they both knew it. Jovie's tendencies of tripping over air wasn't an unheard of anomaly. Her bouts with injury would make an orthopedic see dollar signs just glimpsing at the diagnosis page. Colby simply smiled and clicked his fob to lock the sensible car's doors.

Even though it was nearly three hours before show time, Full Sail was already in full swing. From what she guessed, hundreds of fans lined the sides of the parking lot as she started to half run past them. Fans yelled her name and swung their creative signs featuring her name and ocean themed motifs. After all, being The Siren had its perks, including numerous bad ass drawings of her as a sultry mermaid, much like the symbol that littered many of her shirts. Her fans were some of the most talented and put the most amazing effort into their crafts. She smiled and waved quick as she fumbled by. "I'm late, I'm so sorry! Meet out here after the show and I'll make it up to you all! Promise!" A chorus of whoops was all she could hear as the double doors gave way to her foot.

Jovie flashed her badge to security and immediately made her way back towards the locker room. Colby had been lost in the crowd, obviously in no rush to stand behind the stage the whole night. The brunette dodged worker after worker, nodded her greetings to those she knew and slammed open the doors to the Diva's Locker room. "The fuuuunnnn has arriiiiiiivvveee-duh!"

"And right on time! I thought you were going to have to forfeit!" Alexis Kaufman, AKA Alexa Bliss, was busy tying her boots as she gave a pure, pearly white smile towards her friend. "That wouldn't have been fun at all! You know how much I love to wrestle you!"

"I can't let you down, Lex," Jovie hummed as she hugged her petite opponent from behind. "What kind of champion would I be if I let you get it _that_ easily? I still need to make sure you can prove yourself!"

"No worried, Jove. I'll be all over soon. I just hope you don't mind getting Sparkle Splashed!"

Jovie winced with a giggle, opening her bag to fetch her ring gear. "Sparkles are the herpes of craft tools, you know. What in the world compelled you to choose _that_ as a finishing move name?"

Alexis threw her head back and laughed louder than her little body seemed to have been able to. "I didn't, Dusty did! Blame him!" Dusty Rhodes did everything when it came to names, nicknames, and how to properly deliver a promo. He was a victor of the vernacular, an ace of accents; it only seemed fair that he gave Jovie her finishing moves their names, just as he had done to every other wrestler that passed through the Performance Center's doors.

'Fathoms Below' was Jovie's normal finisher, an arm trap swinging neck breaker by design of one of her biggest inspirations and close friend, CM Punk. It was quick, fluid and a bit flashy in movement, but when done correctly, the crowd couldn't get enough of the speed and agility it required. Her top rope maneuver was the 'Depth Charge', a shooting star press that she still wasn't 100 percent comfortable with. She often was "knocked off" the top turn buckle before she could deliver it as per the script. Dusty knew she wasn't ready to perform it repeatedly yet. It scared the woman to no end not being able to spot her landing until she was nearly the whole way turned. She never knew how it was supposed to end.

Jovie had one more move, a submission that Dusty had named the "Sailor's Knot", that was still in the works and hadn't been performed in NXT. It was the infamous crossface chickenwing, a move both she and Jon were quite familiar with in the Indies.

In fact, he was the one that taught her how to perform it.

Jovie learned the move perfectly with a sharp drop and a wrenching arm, but didn't want to reveal it until she made her way to the Main Roster. She wanted there to be a little surprise when she reached those ranks. Well, that, and she was petrified of what people would think of the stupid name of it. How threatening was a fucking 'Sailor's Knot' anyway? It wasn't Dusty's best, but they had time to throw things around before she used it in the ring. That name wouldn't stay put as long as she had the final say.

After she was all set in black wrestling boots, denim shorts, torn fishnet stockings and sports bra, Jovie darted down the hall towards make-up. She didn't bother with her signature cut up t-shirt yet. She needed a little more time to make sure she wouldn't sweat through the light material. She bumped shoulders with Joe, who turned back with a glare, his pearly whites misjudging his sour tone. She turned behind and stuck out a pink tongue and a wink before disappearing around the corner without saying a word to the Samoan. It was little instances like those that she enjoyed the most with the guy; they never needed words to show that they cared for each other.

Before they saw her, Jovie slipped into a make-up chair without a greeting and waited for the three huffy women to get to work. They were most definitely angry at her for keeping them waiting… She would need to make it up to them with a dessert or a drink later.

The makeup artist, Amanda, quickly wiped a cleansing cloth over her face while the hair stylist, Lacy, worked to spray pre-heat into her frazzled tresses.

"Must you _always_ be late? You're going to get us fired one day, Jove."

"They can't fire you guys! Who else would put on my eyeliner? I'd look like a panda with a bad blow out if that ever happened." She winced at the hot curler pulling at her hair while a blender worked on her foundation. "Half of us would look like we just rolled out of bed if we didn't have you."

"Actually that would be _just_ you," June, the special effects artist, replied. She worked to place a purple circle lense into her right eye, much to Jovie's chagrin. As horribly as the stupid thing hurt, the color looked rather intimidating under the bright lights. It was an essential part of her outfitting now. "Everyone else knows how to at least put on _lipstick_ , poor child." Jovie kicked her feet in her seat, her new, burgundy pout frowning. "What the heck is a cupid's bow, anyway? Make up doesn't make any sense…"

At the Lacy's cue, Jovie threw her torn top on as the woman fiddled her strands into a tight, mermaid side braid. Although she only had hair to her shoulders, Lacy's skilled fingers turned her side fringe into a waterfall of tight knots that barely moved at her most jerking movements. Jovie admired herself in the mirror, eyeshadow painted scales bordering the side of her temples like a veil. Her cat eye looked ever more dramatic with the input of the circle lenses, her cheek bones long and defined. Watch out Finn Balor. There's another monster in this world.

Jovie bid her farewells to her saving graces as she scurried back towards the locker room before a strong hand reached over her bicep. She turned towards the figure only to find lips chastely bumping the top of her head, a strong smell of smoke billowing from the person's clothes. "Go get 'er killer. Lose like the champion you are," a gravelly voice echoed. When did the bustling hall grow silent? She didn't need to guess who it was.

Jovie brought her eyes forward to the stubbled face of Dean Ambrose. The Jon that she had known before was long gone. Jon didn't exist anymore; the only one there was Ambrose. She bounced into persona, using this short interlude on her way to the locker room to sink into her darkened, sultry personality. " _Relaaaax_ ," she rolled out, moving within a hairsbreadth away from his chest. She climbed two fingers up the front of his open leather jacket, her eyes amused in wonder. "We'll see just how Ms. Bliss can swim… Or sink…" And with that, Jovie sashayed away back into the locker room, leaving Ambrose in the dust.

She clipped her belt around her waist with a gulp of air and headed towards gorilla position only to find all of her boys waiting for her patiently. Seth gave her a quick hug and Roman left her with a Samoan-sized fist bump. She and Dean only stared at each other, giving a curt nod. This was nothing out of the sorts. Although Jovie Orsini and Jon Good were close friends, the Lunatic Fringe and The Siren were not quite so chummy. Both had screwed matches over for each other during their time at FCW and both had a nasty tendency to hold a grudge.

Jovie turned with a swish of her braid at her cue and made her way towards the stage.

* * *

 _There wasn't much time left. Jovie had Alexa cornered. A forearm, another and another; the ref separated them to give Alexa a breather. Jovie was back on her in a second, a quick kick the jaw landing the small woman on her back. She shimmied her fingers at the blonde, just_ _ **begging**_ _her to get back up. She was crouched in position as Alexa stood woozily. She struck. Without warning, Jovie fired off Fathoms Below, standing quickly at the crowd's approving yells. Lightning fast and strong as a tiger, the Siren was out in full swing. It was time to finish this._

 _With a quick glance around the audience, Jovie pointed up and received encouraging hollers from her fans. So, up she went._

 _Jovie got into position, her feet perched in perfect position. Her chest was pounding in her throat prepping for the Depth Charge and with a sharp exhale, she leaped._

 _Only to find shins impacting against her diaphragm._

 _Jovie rolled onto the ground holding around her aching ribs, the wind successfully knocked from her lungs. She rolled back just in time to find Alexa on the top rope, her body rolling in the air to fall in a gorgeous splash on top of the champion._

 _1…2…3!_

 _Jovie stayed down for a clear moment as the referee helped her to roll from the ring, letting Alexa take some time to revel in her new championship victory. Jovie could only stare on her knees back towards the little blonde, her eyes narrowed and her lips quivering in pain. That girl… She stole her favorite treasure. She stole the one thing that she needed in her collection._

 _But, for some reason, it was alright._

 _Jovie's character broke as she looked down, a small smirk lining her heat-stricken her cheeks. Well, she could only hope and pray that there wouldn't_ _ **be**_ _a next match. She knew that she had left the belt in good hands. Standing on lactic acid filled legs, Jovie turned her back towards the TitanTron, leaving with a fist pump in the air. It was a congratulations, an appreciation and a blessing; the fans would have to figure out which one meant the most._

* * *

Jovie, now a sweaty, make-up stricken mess, made her way up gorilla with cheering from the back stage crew accompanied by high fives from all kinds of superstars. She didn't bother looking at faces. She was too depressed and tired to care. Colby and Joe were already there to embrace her in all of her partially soggy glory in comforting jokes and pats on the back, although the words fell to deaf ears. Jon, as per usual after her matches, was nowhere to be found. She could only look down and give reassured smiles to her peers in his absence. Something just didn't feel right without him being there even after all of these years. It just felt so empty. They all acted like she had won, but now what? What was next on her plate?

"Jovie."

The voice of Triple H flanked by a smiling Dusty Rhodes and the ever curvaceous Stephanie McMahon rang from the back stage, wiggling his finger in her direction. Colby and Joe pushed her forward with a 'shoo' gesture, but they were met with only her nervous gulp. Jovie begrudgingly followed them through the barren halls towards Paul's office. For once, the perfumed room had a phone off the hook and the countless monitors off. His three companions followed him in as he closed the door behind him with a solid _click_.

"Jovie, please, sit. You're probably sore after that botched starpress, huh?"

Jovie could only nod, her fingers around parts of her abdomen. "But I did it! No hitch in this giddy-up." Dusty handed her a glass of water which she took gratefully, voicing her thanks in a silent nod. Her graveled voice took its rightful place in her stomach; now it was a waiting game.

"I know you've heard the rumors," Paul started, his fingers interlaced on his desk, "of you moving up to the Main Roster?"

Jovie nodded through her water filled greed before she placed the cup down. "That seems to be the word on the street; Colb and Joe were basically convinced that I was going to join them."

"And Jon?" This time Stephanie had intervened.

"He… Hasn't given his point of view," Jovie choked out, her eyes jetting towards the door. Did it get hot in here, or was it just her? "I'm not sure what he's thinking. No one really truly does."

"Do you think he would have objections of you leaving NXT?" Well, Triple H certainly wasn't one to beat around the bush.

"I couldn't imagine that he would care. It's not like he has any control of my life. I live on my own, I cook my own food, I feed my cat; Jon Good isn't my father, for chrissakes." Jovie let out a little huff afterwards. Why would Jon's opinion matter if she Main Rostered? Wait… _MAIN ROSTER?_

"Hold on, hold on; are you guys _actually_ considering me for the big time? You aren't just yankin' my chain here, right?"

Dusty came in with a clap of his large hand on her shoulder, his eyes twinkling like stars. "That's exactly what we're sayin' baby! You in the big time! Of course, we'll probably make it a slow transition, having you still appear on the in-betweens of both NXT and Main Roster until we can figure out an angle and a story line, but I think it's worth it. The Siren makes a splash! The Mistress of Mariana Trench herself!" Dusty had his hands moving in front of his face as if he was imagining a movie title, her name in the biggest, brightest lights he could find. Her, Jovie Orsini, in the big time. Now _that_ was something she **never** thought she would see.

"On a few conditions," Paul started again with a glare towards Dusty, the older man raising his hands in submission. He just _had_ to work her up. "Now, what Dusty said was true. You'll have to bounce between NXT and Main Roster for some time until we can build your heat with the crowd again. This is a much bigger fan base and a lot of them I'm sure don't follow NXT. It won't be too hard with your dynamic style and your mic skills to win them over. I'm not worried about that aspect of your transition. However…" Triple H eyed her up and down, Jovie fidgeting under his gaze. It didn't matter if it was just an inspection; it was a natural instinct for prey to become nervous when a well-known predator was on the prowl. "We're going to need to change your style a little bit."

"My style?" Jovie's eyebrow lifted in confusion, fingering at her nearly shredded tee. "What's wrong with my style, Paul? Too PG-13?"

"Too many people have it, you know? Paige has the studs, the stockings, the leather. AJ has the ripped shirt and denim shorts… We need something purely _Jovie_ , which is why-" Paul reached from behind his desk to pull out a large paper bag with a bow on top, a loving gesture from the amazing Sandra the Seamstress, designer to the hottest superstars in the business. "This should fit you fine. It will suit you well."

Jovie took the bag with a smile and fingered through it to find something she never thought she would see: a black vest, black patterned leggings and thick, laced military-grade work boots with matching pads. She shook her head with her closed eyes in her hands. "The Shield… Of course…" She couldn't contain her smile any longer. She didn't think that hugging Paul would be appropriate, so she settled for Dusty. "Joining the Shield, huh? A Shield Maiden? Who came up with it? I'm liking it!"

"That's why we asked you about Jon. He _highly_ suggested it to raise their appearances with the fans. Little girls love and look up to strong, confident women leads and he thought that you would be a perfect fit. We thought about making you Sister Abigail for the Wyatt Family, but a part-time manager position is probably better suited for you. We could spring you into a match at any time." Stephanie was all smiles as she explained the idea. Jovie could practically see the little wads of cash behind her eyeballs, but she couldn't care less about the WWE's profits right now; she would be performing with her best friends on a near-daily basis. Maybe not right away, but definitely soon.

"I'm all for it! Where do I sign the papers?"

"Well that's great! Welcome aboard!" Paul let out with a clap. "We'll get working on storylines and transitions tomorrow at the training center. Don't be late! We have a lot to go over with you."

Dusty gave her a kiss on a faded glitter temple, whispering 'I knew you could' in her ear as she stood up to go. A broken little thing she was no more.

"Absolutely. Thank you guys so much for this opportunity! I won't let you down, you can 'believe that'!" Jovie let a wink and giggle erupt from her lungs at the corny line; she couldn't help it. WHO CARED?! _SHE WAS ON THE MAIN ROSTER._

As silently as she could, she clicked the door closed before she began her own little celebration. She squealed. She danced, she yelped, she clapped! The pain in her ribs was nowhere to be found. She did it! Although not quite all the way yet, but still! She was going to be on a Main Roster show for good! No more NXT, no more discount groceries, and no more missing rent payments; for a girl from the Indies, hitting this kind of gold mine was one in a million. She wouldn't trade this opportunity for anything.

Jovie fingered at the clingy material in her bag, her eyes closed in contemplation at the touch. Joe, Colby and Jon. Her brothers in arms. It was like they all were siblings anyway; the Shield's dynamic would be nothing new to them, however it would be definitely something for the fans to witness. They would probably find it interesting to see how they would work with a female in their dynamic. Besides, a lot of them thought that Jon and Jovie _actually_ hated each other, so seeing those two trying to work in unison would only make them salivate for more. Creative truly were geniuses, as much as they did usually royally fuck up.

She moved quickly through the winding halls to catering where she found Jon sitting by himself with some lo mein and a side of wonton soup. Crappy Chinese food. Boy, some things really _don't_ change. When he saw her, he struggled to slurp the noodles in his mouth before he washed it down with water. "So, what'd the boss man say?"

"Well, some good, some bad. I'll let you figure out which is which." She started, her eyes twinkling. She could barely contain herself! She was about to fucking _explode!_

"Oh, I'm not sure if I like that look in your eye, Little Bear… Go on, what is it?"

"Okay, so I did make it in fact to Main Roster—"

"Well, well well! Welcome to the Big Boy's Club, fish face," Jon exclaimed, whirling his egg roll in the air like a faux-streamer. It was like he knew it all along. He had always believed in her. He wasn't surprised in the least. Jovie punched him in his bicep with a laugh, stirring the lo mein from his chop sticks.

"I'm not finished, doofus! As I was saying, I am in fact on the Main Roster, but I'll be floating around for a while between there and NXT to make sure that the transition is okay with the fans."

Jon nodded his head, swirling his roll in the yellow soup. "That makes sense; sudden fan favorites making a change doesn't usually bode well with a large audience like the WWE."

It was Jovie's turn to nod as she stole a finger's pinch of noodle. Jon swatted at her hand menacingly, holding up a chop stick in warning. "That's mine. Get your own, twerp."

"Sodium makes you hold water. You shouldn't be eating this shit anyway."

"Okay, so no cigs and no Chinese food… Who are you and what did you do with the _real_ Little Bear, hot _damn_ …" He pretended to knock on her forehead like a door. "Anyone there? Or have you been brainwashed by the Performance Center's health freaks?"

"Oh knock it off, Good," she whined attempting to paw at his large hands. "I'm just trying to look out for you and prevent that dad bod from showing up 10 years too soon!"

"'Don't need your help, but thanks for the honesty… What's the second thing?"

"Second thing," Jovie started, lifting the bag to her lap. "Is in here."

Jon raised a questioning brow just in time for Joe and Colby to take a seat. "Okay, so spill; what did Paul say?" Colby's voice was on edge, his hands clasped on the table. "And no lying. That's just not cool!"

Jovie caught them up to speed, giving them the modified version. Now, all three men sat on their seats in anticipation to what was in the bag. Jovie reached into it, bringing her elbow up painstakingly slowly. She could feel Joe's feet bouncing off of the seat, causing the whole bench to stir. His nervousness was _adorable._ "Come on, come _on_ , just show us!"

She ripped it out for them all to see. Colby and Joe's eyes widened at the sight of the vest while Jon could only smile. "Called it, you guys owe me $50 each."

"Wait, you had a _bet_ on me joining The Shield?"

"Not quite," Colby started begrudgingly as he began digging through his wallet. "It was $25 if we thought you were going to Main Roster and then another $25 on top of that if you joined up with us… Jon was the only one who thought that you would do both. I personally thought they were going to make you Sister Abigail and Joe didn't think you were going to be joining _anyone_ at all."

Jovie's eyebrow arched towards Jon in contemplation. "Wait, didn't Steph say that you asked for me to j- _ **BRGH**_!"

Jon shoved his palm over her lips to silence her accusation. "Yes, Steph said that I _was_ in fact dazzlingly handsome and that she would leave her husband in a split second for me, why thank you for telling the world Jovie. I appreciate you spewing our deepest, darkest secret for everyone to hear." Jon's breath was suddenly _very_ close to her ear; she could nearly hear the wheezing of his lungs in her brain. "No talkie. I'll split it with you for dinner."

Jovie's gaze sank as she let all of her pressure fall into his hand. If she wasn't so desperate for cash right now, she would probably decline. But, Beans _did_ need a new kitty bed and some canned food… And she _did_ need to get more groceries for the week. _Damn that Ambrose…_

Jon stuffed the $100 into his pocket, leaving Jovie's side with a wink as he grabbed his take-out container. "Well, now that I'm a hundred bucks richer, how about we split this Popsicle stand and head to the bar, eh? First drink's my treat, little _sister._ "

"I would, _brother_ , but I promised my fans I would meet them by the loading dock since I couldn't see them at the start. You all go on without me. I'll meet you there in a bit."

"We'll be at the Thirsty Turtle when you're ready," Joe started as he walked backward towards the exit. "And congratulations again! Welcome to The Shield!" Jovie only nodded as all three men made their way out. Jon lingered behind for only a moment, giving a short wave and a genuine smile before disappearing into the night.

* * *

Jovie's greeting with the fans had gone so much better than she had expected.

When she arrived just as she said, the fans went absolutely _crazy,_ yelling her name and wishing her the best of luck. Apparently, it wasn't just her who had gotten the good news of her new promotion! Triple H had sent out a Tweet and ordered a report on the WWE website as soon as she walked out the door.

Fans flocked to hug her and give her presents, but the one she cherished most was a little felt mermaid that a little girl who couldn't have been more than 6 made. It had yarn hair and a marker-drawn face with glued gemstones along its tail. Jovie thought it was the most precious thing she had ever been given and held it close to her the rest of the signing period.

After about an hour of autograph signing and picture taking, Jovie made her way back to the cars to hail a taxi. She kept the little crafted mermaid tucked safely in the confines of her gym bag as the cab pulled up, driving her down town towards the Thirsty Turtle.

It was a rather local hang out that most of the NXT superstars frequented more than often. The bartenders, Gary and Lanette, knew her by name and already had a Guinness waiting in a chilled glass for her. "Ey! A drink for the newest WWE Main Roster Divaaaa!" Gary screamed as a chorus of 'yeah!'s echoed through the small bar. Jovie took a huge gulp of it approvingly, saluting her bartenders graciously. "Ah, I can always count on my salty sea crew to make things right! Speaking of salty crew, have you seen three kind of hulking looking dudes walk in here? Probably order a Bud Light or a Corona or something fruity like that?"

The heavily tattooed Lanette nodded, cracking her dirty cleaning rag towards the outside. "On the Veranda. PS, the one with the arm tattoo is hot as fuck. 'He single?"

Jovie winked towards the woman who nearly melted into a few empty bottles of Svedka yelling "you're killing me!" the entire time she made her way across the crowded floor.

The Veranda was a small, outdoor area near a marina that was privately owned by The Thirsty Turtle with sprawling cabanas, fireplaces and old refurbished driftwood beach chairs. The boys were perched around one fire place, their shoes nearly licked by the flames as they lifted their beers to their lips. Just as she had suspected, Joe had a Bud Light, Seth the Corona, and Jon seemed to have settled for what looked like a classic G and T in a low whiskey glass. Jovie swerved from the right and grabbed a loose deck chair, placing it between Jon and Colby. "This spot taken? Nah? Good. 'Cause it's mine now." Plopping her gym bag down, she raised her beer to her lips, her shoulders slouching against the back of the faded, old chair.

"What took you so long?" Colby muttered as he tried to brush the blown smoke and ash from his eyes.

"The fans were all extremely affectionate. I couldn't just leave them there, especially since Hunter apparently already spilled the beans about me leaving NXT. They had so many questions… I almost felt _bad_ that I couldn't answer them."

"Really?" Joe pulled out his phone and after a few scrolls, let out a little 'ah'. "Here it is: 'Jovie Promoted To Main Roster After Dropped Championship'. Well, that was kind of him, wasn't it?" Jovie could feel the sarcasm biting at her toes. "He could have phrased that a bit better, in my opinion…"

"It's alright, I don't mind," she responded, taking another drink of her dark lager. "Did they say anything about me joining The Shield?"

"Not that I can read," Joe mumbled, working the phone back and forth in front of his eyes. "God, I need glasses or something, shit…"

"Give," Colby commanded as he moved forward to reach the phone. He took it with long fingers and continued to scroll through before shaking his head. "Nah, they doesn't want the public to know yet. It's going to be the biggest shock that these people have seen in a _while_ , that's for sure!"

Jovie could only nod her head as she laid herself back onto the chair to admire the night sky. Evening wasn't nearly as humid as she had imagined Florida to be. It was still warm, but a slight ocean breeze that curled off of the dunes hit the Veranda just right to keep the sweat and bugs at bay. The stars were out, the moon half phased and the light pollution from the town was so far off, only darkness greeted its twinkling companions.

Jovie could only sigh at the perfection.

"Don't you think Jove?"

"Huh?" She must have dozed away from the conversation, as per usual. Jon knocked his glass towards the bar, blowing a kiss to Lanette from his chair, a devilish smirk on his lips. "Don't you think this is better than the Indies? Come one, all the drinks you want? A home to sleep in? Gas in your tank and food in your belly? This is _heaven_ for scuzz like us, am I right?"

Jovie paused quietly looking towards Colby in particular. His reign as Tyler Black those days were some of the best she was sure that he had ever experienced. He surely was trying to prove that down trodden, rough n' tough Jon was wrong in his views. Seeing both side, she just couldn't make the choice. "I wouldn't say _heaven_ , Jon. Yes, definitely better, but I still can't say anything for sure yet. I, much like Colby, had quite a blast in the Indies even though I did go to sleep hungry a few times." She closed her eyes at the memory of sleeping in the back of her rotten, told car under layers of free fleece blankets from the homeless shelter nearby.

"There's an ornery realness to it. None of this makeup and hair stuff; none of these hotel room perks. You lived off of what you had and if you didn't have anything, you better upgrade fast before you died out there."

The crew was silent after that. They were all lost in thought of their upbringings in the business: Joe, by family, Colby, by talent, and Jon, by chance. The silence nearly drove her to anger. She didn't want them pitying her! She wanted them to understand! She couldn't let the feeling sit. Turning the conversation to a lighter tone, she raised her nearly empty glass into the open sky above the fire. "I propose a toast: to new, luxurious beginnings and ass kickings all around! We are The Shield!"

Glasses clinked and the liquor flowed. Jon could only bask in her laughter under the amber fire. Since when did she have a smile like that?

* * *

 **A/N: Oh boy, this took a lot longer than I thought! School has been extremely rough, so excuse me! But luckily, travel season is starting which means that I'll have more time to get things done! Thank you for being patient!**

 **Edit: Thank you to the person who told me the last chapter was buggy! I hope I fixed it up for you all!**

 **Shout out to all of my new followers and the amazing reviews! Stay lovely my friends 3**


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